Influenster Review: Palmolive Soft Touch

This weekend, Al and I spent a lot of time in the yard, tearing out rock beds, pulling weeds, and doing some demo on our entry-way. We picked plants, drew up a landscaping plan, and purchased many of the items to get us started. Needless to say, we got our hands dirty. 

So, it was quite fitting that earlier in the week I'd received my Influenster package containing Palmolive Soft Touch dish-soap. The soap boasts that it's easy on your hands and contains vitamins and aloe vera to sooth any scrapes or dry spots. It also keeps your manicure looking fresh and is easy on your jewelry. 

After using it multiple times this weekend, I found all of these claims to be exactly right! I didn't feel like my hands were dried out nor did it leave behind a soapy residue that you find with other products. Finally, the scents were clean and fresh without being overwhelming. 

My remaining question is how long a bottle will last. It's certainly a large size and I didn't find myself over-using it, but I have not washed dishes yet to see it's cleaning abilities. I imagine it will be comparable to other dish soaps in that a large bottle lasts a few months. 

Bottom line: I highly recommend Palmolive Soft Touch soap. 

And, if you're not already, head over and become and Influenster and you can try great products for free just like I do!

{disclaimer: I received this product through Influenster in exchange for a review of the product. I was not compensated in any other way for my review. All opinions expressed are my own.}

Adventures in Puppyhood

Kramer has been in our home for 3.5 months and is now over 1-year-old. He is now 60 lbs. of pure energy and is becoming more vocal and better behaved. He is both a light in my day and a total terror - in other words, a puppy. Here are some highlights: 

- GOOD He is only kenneled when necessary for safety or discipline. He now runs the house during the day, letting him release a little energy while we're gone rather than unleashing it all when we arrive home. He has not chewed a single thing since we made the change. 

- NOT SO GOOD He is still jumping up on people. To the point that my arms and legs (and even a gash on my lip the other the day) are regular occurrences. I've tried a few different tactics and cannot get him to obey. 

- WONDERFUL He is fully bell trained. He hits a bell on the door handle when he needs to go out. Only occasionally does he hit it to chase squirrel. :)

- LESS THAN WONDERFUL He still gets so excited at the prospect of going outside that he can't sit still long enough to put on his leash. It takes at least 5 minutes to get him to "sit" so I can chain him. BUT - He does not leave the house until I say "ok" and we walk together. His leash training has gone well and usually only small children and squirrel can detract from that (see a pattern?)

- CUTE When you talk to him, he tilts his head to the side as if to say: "you talkin' to me?" 

- QUITE THE OPPOSITE OF CUTE He will walk right up to you and unapologetically burp in your face. I guess men are men in every species. 

- MY FAVORITE THING When we have our daily 'cuddle time' he will nudge me with his snout if he's not ready to be done. Just like a cat, he just pushes his head on my hand or lap and will even give licks in case I haven't gotten the point

("Mommy, work time is over. Come play.")

I need to do better at giving him time to run and play. I try to put play dates together with my friend and her two dogs, because he always comes home tuckered out. I need to go on a daily walk, if only for 20 minutes, though I know he needs much more right now. And he really does better when he gets exercise. He's a better listener and really sweet dog when he's fully active - and quite the opposite when he's pent up. He's still a puppy and a breed that needs stimulation and activity - so it's on me to make sure he gets that.

Even though I feel like the bad guy who enforces all the rules and I'm the only one cleaning up doggie messes, I'm also the first one he goes to when he's scared, sick, or just needs little lovin'. And just when I got tears in my eyes as the gash on my lip swelled up on Saturday, he came over, licked my cheek, and nudged my arm. 'Cause even puppies know when being good outweighs that damn squirrel.

Memorial Day 2013

Remember those who've given their lives in service, and support those Gold-star families alongside them.

Arlington National Cemetery

(source)

Fashion Friday: Dressing for Spring Weather

Spring is a wonderful season. Crisp, cool evenings where you can sleep with the window open and warm, breezy days. Flowers are everywhere and the air is clean and fresh. But one of difficulties of spring-time weather is that choosing work attire can be challenging. 

For one, spring is usually rainy season. For two, morning commute temps and afternoon meeting temps are drastically different, as are outdoor and indoor temps. That's why having the right essentials and dressing in layers is vital when crafting your spring work wardrobe. 

Today, I've compiled what I consider to be work-wear essentials for spring weather, regardless of the type of job you have or environment in which you work, these pieces should make your day-to-day easier and leave your closet refreshed (just like spring!)

The Clothes:

A trench coat - Yes, it's the timeless classic everyone should own anyway, but during spring, it's even more true. A twill version will provide warmth when necessary, but not too much as temps climb throughout the day. It's always a neutral color that can be layered on top of anything. 

Stripes - It's a great pattern that can be paired and layered. The options are virtually endless and this spring there have been some vertical stripe options in addition to the traditional horizontal stripe. Put a collared shirt under a striped lightweight sweater and you should be comfy all day. 

A-line skirt - It is the perfect way to transition to warmer weather and if the length is right, you can even skip the pantyhose (major plus!) Get it in a neutral that can be paired with a bright top or in a daring color that can be toned down with a classic blazer.

A flowy blouse - The perfect layering essential that transitions smoothly from the warm lunch hour to the formal, afternoon meeting. Get it in one of the hot spring colors: mint, tangerine, lemon, and pair with slack and matching jacket or a lightweight grey suit.

(tailor & stylist)

Other Essentials: 

A cute umbrella - I can't tell you how many times I've been running from appointment to appointment and all of the sudden it starts raining. It wasn't even in the forecast! After getting caught wet and frustrated a few times, I started carrying an umbrella in my car, and another, more compact one, in my work bag.

Rain Shoes - Oftentimes, I wear flip flops or another rain-resistant shoe during my commute (and for my coffee stop) and then throw on my pumps when I reach the office. That way, I'm less likely to step in a puddle (and, let's face it, I'm more comfortable for a longer time.) If it's going to be very rainy, I'll even wear my rain boots.

(aeropostale)

Sunglasses - Whether it's simply a sunny spring day, or the sun is peeking out after a rainfall, that bright glare can make running around difficult. Find an aviator style or a light-colored rim for a springier look. 

(dorothy perkins)

A no-fuss hairstyle - Carry a clip or band with you in case your hair does take a beating. That way you can craft a cute up-do or pin a few pieces in the right way before heading to meet with a client. It also helps when you want to transition to happy-hour drinks or simply want your hair off your face during and intense project.

A workout update

I have recently found that the key to developing and sticking to a workout routine is to not have one. It goes against everything I believe in to have no plan and no way to implement it. It feels so foreign to just spontaneously workout, with no specific goal in mind. 

But it's working for me. 

For the first time in a long time, I am working out regularly. I'm at the gym 3 days per week, coaching an additional 2, and walking the dog as many times per week as possible. When I'm at the gym, I just do whatever makes me happy that day, usually 40 minutes on the elliptical, 10 minutes of weights and 10 minutes of stretching. And it almost always ends with 10 minutes sweating in out in the steam-room = my favorite part! 

I've lost 10 pounds. I sleep better and I haven't been getting headaches, at all. 

But now I'm at an impasse. In order to see more results, I have to have a plan. I think I've made whatever progress I can with my haphazard workout style. If I want to tone my body and lose a little more weight, I'm going to have to develop a plan and stick to it. 

More cardio to shed pounds, more weights and muscle-specific training to tone-up.

And I need someone to motivate me, to keep me going, and to make me feel like I'm letting down more than myself if I give up. (It's easy to give myself excuses. It's difficult to tell someone else why you're bailing or giving less than 100%.) 

This week I am going to stick to my initial no-plan workouts and then create a plan for going forward. Perhaps I'll recruit a friend to keep me honest or even snatch Al a couple times per week to kick my ass (he's good at that!)

Here goes nothing, I guess...

The last time...

It seems like many of my experiences these days are accompanied by the phrase, "this is the last time..."

Today I have the pleasure of attending our Battalion Ball. I get to put on a pretty dress, get a mani/pedi, and curl up my hair. I get to join my close Army friends for dinner, drinks, and dancing. Even better than that, I get to watch my husband put on his Class A's, steamed and pressed, with all the brass, bells, and whistles. This might very well be the last time I see him stand proud in his uniform and it is most likely the last time I will be on his arm when he does.

Along with the celebratory air of the evening, will be moments of reflection. Some moments will be happy, and others somber. But tonight, for the last time, I will raise a glass and toast this amazing ride we've had with the Army and focus, instead, on the many firsts to come in our lives. Cheers! 

5 Goals in 2013: April Review

Expand Mind

1. Did I read at least 1 book? Yes. I read 365 Deployment Days by Sara Dewalt (and then gave it away last week for MSAD) and I continue the book I'd previously started: It's a Jungle in There by Steven Schussler (of Rainforest Cafe fame)

2. Did I develop any skills? No. Nothing new.

3. Did I teach/tutor at least 1 child? No. I'm not sure I'm going to get to this. With my business taking off and taking up a lot of time, it's simply on the back-burner.

Increase Wealth

1. Did I payoff any debt? We continue to make above-minimum payments on everything and developed a plan to attack the smallest two loans by the end of summer.

2. Did I increase ER savings? Yes, the allotment started this month and we're now putting small amounts back into savings

3. Did I increase additional savings? Yes. In April, all my additional money went towards my Vegas trip. Now that it's past, I am refocusing this "extra" savings on my trip to Minnesota in August for the wedding.

Advance Career

1. Did I attend at least 1 event? Yes! I was a mentor at a hiring event; our company hosted a seminar for clients; I was a guest at the welcome reception for the new Division Commander, General LaCamera. These events are testing my networking skills and expanding my base of contacts here in Colorado. 

2. Did I write at least 1 article? Final details are put on the long-term writing project on the blog. I will reveal them this month!

3. Did I make steps toward finding a mentor? No more details on this - in the works!

Enhance Home

1. Did we make progress on the guest bath/bedroom? No new progress. 

2. Did we make progress on clearing the Radon? A little. We started clearing out the basement, including flooring and such, so we can jump on the mitigation system as soon as the budget is available.

3. Did we make progress on the outdoor projects? Throughout April (with the help of a few storms) we tore all the shutters off the front of the house and re-framed them. We painted and fixed our facade light fixtures and put new a new house number up. We also tore out some weeds and brush and cleaned up the rocks/landscaping. Super progress, though small steps!!

Improve Health

1. No smoking? Still smoke-free! 

2. Did I eat healthier? Gearing up for my trip was bad. We were clearing out the pantry and fridge, so eating spaghettios and hot dogs rather than good things. I am consciously avoiding treats and thinking about the calorie intake (i.e. only one breakfast donut!)

3. Did I take a multi-vitamin? Ugh, no. Why is this so hard? Now that I'm taking a daily allergy med, I'm hoping this becomes a part of that routine.

Das Mutti

I am pretty lucky to have the relationship I do with my mother. She is not only my mentor and my role-model, but also my friend. She is my confidant and my trusted-advisor. She is who I turn to when I'm sad and where I go to celebrate the victories. She is a beautiful woman who taught me strength, humility, patience, and grace. 

And how to be silly:

And when I planned my wedding in two short weeks and told her I didn't need flowers, she made sure I had them anyway!

And when I graduated with my JD last spring, there wasn't a person in the auditorium happier than she was. She is, most definitely, my biggest fan and loudest cheerleader.

To be certain, we are cut from the same cloth. I am undoubtedly her daughter, and am becoming more like her with each year. I'm a little louder, with a harsher tongue, and I lack the patience she's tried so hard to pass on. But we share an infectious laughter, the unconditional love of family, and the desire to bring people together. We share a passion for reading, a large bust, and a sweet tooth (well, we both have our own sweet tooth - not one we share!) Most of all, we share an unrelenting desire to see the best from each other and most from ourselves and to walk through life giving as much as we take. 

In the near future, I hope to become a mother myself. And if I'm blessed enough to have a daughter, I hope to pass along many of these qualities and grow into the wonderful relationship I have with my mother (though I doubt we could top it!)

HAPPY MOTHERS DAY!

Las Vegas Weekend Recap & Photo Blast

I think I have finally recovered from my weekend in Vegas. It only took a few nights of sleep and getting back into my normal schedule to feel rested. I can't help but remember my time in college when we would celebrate for an entire weekend, like Homecoming, and get right back to class on Monday, without skipping a beat. That was 6 years ago and I just can't do it anymore.

Nevertheless, the weekend was wonderful. It was relaxing and celebratory (and no one did anything stupid!) I got to see my sister and the bride-to-be and make some new friends. 

The weekend basically went like this (starting around 6am on Friday):
Airport; Hotel check-in; bikinis and whiskey-drinks; walking the strip; early to bed. 

Breakfast buffet and blended coffees; more pool fun; Derby and Blackjack. 

Primping girls; steak dinner; Thunder(ous) abs (aka. beautiful men, scantily clad, with greased-up bodies - Thunder from Downunder); The Bank VIP; late to bed. 

Birthday mimosa; lounging time; pasta dinner; Elton John (aka. the best concert ever!)

 Zero-dark-thirty wake-up; airport; home-sweet-home.

Basically, it was 60 hours of go-go-go and tons of fun and memories. 
Between the bachelorette/bachelor party and my birthday, it was certainly a vacation for the books! I only the hope everyone else had as much fun as I did.

MSAD: Reflections of a Spouse

(photo credit: BSF)

Today is Military Spouse Appreciation Day! 

I've talked about the purpose of the day and its meaning previously. I've talked about what it means to me to be a military spouse. I've shared those feelings with you on numerous occasions. And they are still true.

But today is different. Today is special. Today is the last time I will celebrate May 10 as a military spouse. Last month, we entered our last year as a military family. We started down the homestretch towards our ETS date and have begun planning for our lives as a civilian family.

Looking toward that transition is bitter-sweet. We are so proud to be a military family. My husband loves serving his country and I love supporting that mission. We have met an amazing community of people, of family, really, who are impossible to replace. We have lived many places and experienced many things. All because the Army gave us the opportunity. 

On the other hand, we have sacrificed a lot. We spent many years apart while I pursued my own path. We endured deployments, field trainings, and other separations. We encountered loss and said "see you later" to too many people. We had to adjust our goals, and plans, and timeline innumerable times. 

While the sacrifice was undoubtedly worth it, it is time to shift the focus to us. To make Al's dreams, my career, starting a family, and regaining control over our life, a priority. It is time to be a little selfish and put "us" first for a change. 

But even in walking away from the life in which we've grown so accustomed is sacrifice in itself. Al is allowing a younger soldier, with military career aspirations, to step up and take on a leadership role. He is allowing his position to be filled by someone who finds it better suited to their goals. 

It is also a financial sacrifice. A unsettling (so scary!) move into something less secure and less constant. My business is still in the beginning phases and Al wants to return to school. We want to start a family and keep working on projects around the house. All of these things cost money at a time where we are walking away from a steady paycheck. 

But reward takes risk. And security isn't everything. Happiness is.

Back to the reason for this post: I've only been in this life for 5 years (and a spouse for even less) and have encountered numerous women who have enriched my life, supported my dreams, and walked me through this crazy military world. You've let me cry, laugh, celebrate, and complain - and hopefully I've done the same for you! There are not enough words to describe how much this community of women means to me and how much I will miss it when I'm gone. 

One thing is for certain, you are what I will miss the most about this life. So, on my last MSADay as an "official" spouse ('cause I know I'll get the honor forever,) I have one last thing to say: 

Thank you. Your commitment is incomparable and your friendship, invaluable.

Temporarily Incapacitated

I'm back and I'm alive, but I am ex-haust-ed. My plane landed back in Colorado at 10am yesterday and I ran home long enough to check on the pup, drop off my travel bags, and respond to a few emails before I ran to the gym for coaching. 

Anyway, everything from my brain to my fingers have pretty much given up on life today, which really only means one thing:

I am too damn old to party in Vegas for three days straight. 

I'll give you a recap later this week (when I recover) but until then I'm going back to bed.

A Weekend In Vegas

As you read this, I am on a plane somewhere between Colorado and Las Vegas on my way to my bestie's Bachelorette Party weekend. We have been planning for months and this weekend it finally comes together. We are co-partying with the groom and his bachelor party tonight and then breaking off into the individual parties tomorrow. Sunday is my 29th birthday and in order to forget that I am one-holy-crap-only-one year from being 30, I am going to park my butt at the pool with a margarita in each hand. My sister is treating me to the Elton John show on Sunday night, about which I am completely stoked. (yes, stoked. It's Elton frickin' John!) Then, I jump on a plane much-too-early on Monday morning in time for a quick nap before coaching that night. 

I'm probably going to hate the fact that my flight is so early, but it saved me significant money on the flight and allows me to work that evening. Ultimately, it is worth it to have a blast in Vegas with my favorite people even if it means I have to get back to being a grown-up sooner then I might like.

Holy crap this is going to be a crazy-awesome mess of a weekend!

Vegas Playlist

I am a mere two mornings away from getting on a plane to Vegas. Since we're expecting snow today, and the forecast for Las Vegas is over 80 degrees, I'm desperate for this vacation. 

I know the rest of the girls are antsy too, but none more so than the bachelorette herself. With a full-time job, her last set of finals for her Masters degree, and planning a wedding, she's a busy lady (and a total rockstar!)  And, since last week was her birthday, I took the opportunity to put something special together for her.

You see, in Jr. High we made mixed tapes of songs off the radio and traded them back and forth. Most of them were top-40 songs (her) or country (me), but it gave us a variety of music to listen to. In high-school we switched over to CD's and by the second year of college we had developed quite the collection of mixed CD's and quite an eclectic music taste. We enjoyed finding new music to share and often came running into each other's room at odd hours uttering the phrase "you've got to listen to this!" 

These mixed CD's became a staple in our lives and would often serve as gifts for various occasions or to cheer one another up. With titles like "Battle of the Sexes" and "Road-Trippin' Mix" they served as a memory-maker for many life-events. 

I don't think we've made mixed CD's for each since 2008, but I still create playlists on  my iPod in the same way I did back then. So, when this trip came up, I saw the perfect opportunity to do something special. 

I even polled the other party attendees and asked them if they wanted to add a song with a special message or memory attached (since most of us have known her since college or earlier.) They responded emphatically and had great suggestions for song additions. The playlist also included clues to our bachelorette itinerary and other weekend events. And some, well, are just too fun not to include. 

So, here it is. The Las Vegas Bachelorette Playlist: 

Sin City - AC/DC

Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It) - Beyonce

Corona and Lime - Shwayze

Poker Face - Lady GaGa

Gold Digger - Kanye West ft. Jamie Foxx

Party in the USA - Miley Cyrus

Girls in the USA - Nick Carter

It's Raining Men - The Weather Girls

Saturday Night Divas - Spice Girls

Show Me How You Burlesque - Christina Aguilera

99 Problems - Jay Z

Circus - Britney Spears

Buttons - Pussycat Dolls

Pour Some Sugar on Me - Def Leppard

Cyclone - Baby Bash ft. T-Pain

Cheers (Drink to That) - Rihanna

Get Naked - Methods of Mayhem

Waking up in Vegas - Katy Perry

Leaving Las Vegas - Sheryl Crow

Do you have any songs that perfectly fit with your past memories? Or perhaps a song that you always play on a special occasion? Please share...